The present invention concerns an electrical apparatus such as an electrical contactor or a terminal block, comprising a casing made of an electrically insulating material, a conductive bar mounted in the casing and at least one push-in type connection terminal comprising a contact spring having an elastic portion undergoing an elastic deformation under the action of an external force applied on the contact spring by an electrical conductor during its insertion at a first aperture of the casing so as to place the electrical conductor in a contact position located between the contact spring and the conductive bar in order to establish an electrical connection between the electrical conductor and the conductive bar, or by a tool inserted into a second aperture of the casing so as to open the contact spring and release the electrical conductor in order to remove it out of its contact position.
It is known to design an electrical apparatus with at least one push-in type connection terminal mounted in the electrically insulating casing together with the electrical connection conductive bar. This technical solution may be provided in particular in the electrical apparatus of the terminal block type.
The contact spring is configured such that the contact between the electrical conductor and the conductive bar results from a forced insertion of the electrical conductor in opposition to the action of the contact spring and is automatically maintained by the contact spring after the insertion of the electrical conductor. The insertion of the electrical conductor in what is here called <<the contact position>> is practiced between a portion of the contact spring and the conductive bar, such that the electrical conductor is directly clasped by and between these two parts. The electrical conductor may, for example, come into an aperture formed in the conductive bar and be held by the contact spring itself mounted on the conductive bar.
The removal of the electrical conductor is then practiced by exerting an external force on the contact spring via a tool tending to open the spring in order to release the electrical conductor.
In these known solutions equipped with push-in connection terminals, the casing is generally made into two portions assembled to one another in a lateral direction perpendicular to the insertion direction of the electrical conductor into the connection terminal and perpendicular to the plane in which the contact spring elastically deforms during use.
This results in a limitation of the freedom of design of the connection terminal and it may occur that the electrical apparatus as a whole is not totally satisfactory, in particular in terms of cost, simplicity of design and use, ergonomics, bulk and weight.
Moreover, it is known to equip the casing with inner elements integral with the rest of the casing and provided to cooperate with the contact spring during its elastic deformation so as to guide and limit the elastic deformation of the contact spring.
Though such elements are satisfactory when the casing is laterally assembled into two portions, they are inappropriate when the situation is different, in particular in the case of electrical apparatuses whose casing comprises two portions assembled together according to a direction substantially parallel to the insertion direction of the electrical conductor in the terminal, as is for example the case in an electrical contactor having conventionally a casing constituted by the assembly of a lower peripheral wall and an upper cover. Indeed, such inner elements would completely prevent the mounting of the connection terminal inside the casing.
The present invention aims to solve all or part of the drawbacks listed hereinabove.
In this context, there is a need to provide an electrical apparatus corresponding to the technical field presented hereinabove and which allows proposing an alternative solution to the existing solutions, avoiding the risks of damage to the contact spring, improving aspects such as costs, bulk and weight, being simple in design and use, while being user-friendly and ergonomic in practice.